RAAS Overactivation and Mitochondrial Damage Signaling as Key Players in Lethal COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which led to a global pandemic causing millions of deaths, is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV- -2). While previous research on COVID-19 has primarily utilized nasal swabs and blood samples, these do not provide comprehensive insights into all the organ systems affected by the infection. A recent study by Topper et al. addressed this gap by analyzing both nasal samples and autopsy tissues from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. Their findings highlight a significant role of mitochondrial damage pathways and RAAS overactivation in contributing to the severity of SARSCoV- 2 infections. Importantly, targeting mitochondrial dysfunction and RAAS overactivation pathways may offer promising and specific druggable targets for treating COVID-19 patients.